Karitas Foundation

07/22/2026

Such a privilege to share with this community that is a home away from home, to be embraced, held, supported and inspired. Thank you Sandy Forbes Howard Friend Ann Harnwell Hatfield Todd Friend

This past Sunday, we welcomed Erik Friend, Executive Director of Wellspring Karitas Foundation, one of our longtime mission partners, to St. John's! Karitas serves communities in Morelos, Mexico, and their flagship program, "Jazz My Chair," repairs wheelchairs for thousands of people each year while also creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

It was a joy to hear firsthand about the hope, dignity, and creative partnership this ministry builds. Thank you, Erik, for sharing your story with us, and for the good work you and your team do every day.

04/25/2026

A beautiful opportunity to collaborate civil society and government, local business and above all the communities we follow. Thank you Governor Margarita Gonzalez, and hope we can do much more. Thank you Enchúlame la Silla Fundación Comunidad A.C. St. John's Lutheran Church of Boyertown Erik Friend

05/26/2025

Our projects are growing! 🚀

We're thrilled to see more and more people joining our mission to create positive change in the community. 🌟

Recently, our team AlEM met with the Club Rotario San Luis Potosi to explore replication options for the "Enchúlame la Silla" (or "Jazz my chair") project, an initiative that aims to generate a positive impact on people's lives. 📈 We're excited to announce that we've taken a significant step towards expanding this project.

We want to especially thank Cristina for her leadership and the organizations "Vida Independiente "and "Vida Digna" for their enthusiasm and commitment. 🙏 We also appreciate the support of the Rotary Club and the participation of the "Fondo Potosino." 💪

We're confident that this project will be a success thanks to the teamwork and dedication of everyone involved.

Thank you for being part of our community! 🌎 "

Seguimos trabajando incansablemente hacia un futuro más inclusivo y equitativo para las personas con discapacidad 🙏🏻💙

Viajamos a 📍SLP, donde tuvimos la oportunidad de presentar nuestro proyecto integral con el Fondo Potosino‚ y nuestros amigos Rotarios de San Luis Potosí. ✅Nuestro objetivo: replicarlo en esta histórica y hermosa ciudad‚ explorando nuevos horizontes para mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas de cada rincón del país 🇲🇽.

Esta noble misión ha tenido una gran aceptación en gran parte de la República Mexicana, ya que brindamos accesibilidad y oportunidades en las comunidades que más lo necesitan‼️

Estamos emocionados y esperanzados en visitar a 3️⃣ posibles Aliados más para seguir consolidando este sueño y lograr un mundo más inclusivo y accesible para todas y todos. ✅☺️

🧑🏽‍🦽

03/20/2025

🌟 Lesson for Today: Never Stop Dreaming 🌟

Thanks to your generosity, Mother Imelda's mission continues to flourish, lighting the way to brighter futures for children, their families, and our world. 💖🙌✨

💬 A Message from Mother Imelda:

"Hello, Good People! My name is Imelda Rubio José León, but the children call me Mother. I entered religious life about 40 years ago; it is my essence, my being, my soul. Throughout my journey, I have dedicated myself to the children, teaching and caring for those aged 3 to 5, while also enjoying the company of young people. This passion for education is deeply rooted in my family and continues to inspire me every day."

👉 Click here to read the full story!

https://www.karitasfoundation.org/mother-imelda

03/11/2025

🌟 **JAZZ Your Day!** 🌟

What’s it like to have your old, broken wheelchair repaired and regain your freedom? 💖 Take two minutes to watch the joy-packed clip below as Program Coordinator Carolina Gonzalez guides us through an ALEM wheelchair clinic.

**Your partnership means:**
✅ Over **3,000** individuals receive functioning chairs each year
✅ **30 disabled persons** enjoy sustainable employment repairing chairs
✅ We promote a culture of **inclusion** across the region of Mexico

Most of us will never experience life in a wheelchair within an impoverished setting with limited access to transport and work. We invite you to visit the inspiring work of Wellspring Karitas, but until then, this short video is the next best thing. 🎥✨

Meet some amazing individuals who share the gift of working alongside us. Join us in celebrating the transformative impact of mobility and inclusion!
Your past support has made this possible, and your continuing gifts keep it rolling.

07/13/2024

This has been a process long in the making - and it is historic. ALEM has been on the road with the Jazz my Chair program for 12 years, traveling from coast to coast in central Mexico. We have repaired somewhere around 25,000 wheelchairs. All this has been done by our single team of 10 people with disabilities. Today, a small group of people with disabilities in Mexico City responded to our call, and they are opening a shop in Ciudad Neza, sometimes referred to as the largest slum in the world. Román, Pedro & Mario, Sinoe & Emmanuel will also be accompanying us on Jazz my Chair clinics across Mexico City and will eventual take over that region themselves. You will get to know them; they are dedicated, enthusiastic and very skilled.
Thank you Rotary 4185-4170-5495-7450, Hope Haven West and all our supporters at Wellspring Karitas Foundation

03/11/2024

What great news!
Our partnership with "Hope Haven West" and "Rotary Club of Valle Orizaba" continues!
They have donated 100 wheelchairs for ALEM’s work, and helped us import our repair parts.

With these donations, Alem can repair the wheelchairs and support people that need it. These are individuals who have been waiting for a wheelchair for years and their financial situation does not allow them to afford a new one.

Thank you to the generosity of those who make these donations. These actions show that together we can make a difference and improve the quality of life for those who need it most.

03/05/2024

The La Estación Community Center was born over 20 years ago as a partnership between Wellspring Karitas Foundation (WKF) and the community of Patios de la Estación, with the support of the Clarisa Sisters who run the preschool across the the, now removed, railroad tracks. The program, on the mothers of the preschool’s initiative, has fed 120 to 150 children and elderly every weekday for all those years, as well as providing a safe space for the women to gather and work together to better their community. The space has been the venue for numerous courses and workshops for everything from nutrition and child rearing to baking and herbal medicine.

In an effort to engage the younger generation, those children who grew up in the program and are now heads of families, as leaders in the program we decided to make site visits to other projects to explore different models and to try to increase the sustainability of the project from within. Thanks to a grant from Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, we hired Lizzy Palencia who has done an amazing job at facilitating the process, conversation and visits.
This past week we visited another WKF partner, ResilienteMX, who run a social enterprise, a coffee shop in downtown Cuernavaca that hires people with disabilities for all their operations, to learn firsthand about different forms of collective work organization.
The meeting generated an evident enthusiasm in the La Estación leaders, both young and older.

“It was a very nice and interesting experience. The best thing is that they give work to people with disabilities. I love the enthusiasm as they tell their story. Their story is incredible!!!”

With these experiences, they could see new possibilities and strategies to improve their work in the community. We are confident that this collaboration and mutual learning will allow us to continue growing and strengthening our commitment to community development.

12/13/2023

12/13/2023

Such a privilege to share with and be partners with this faith community, thank you St. John's Presbyterian Church in Devon.